1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a load-securing arrangement for a loading space of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known load-securing system of the generic type (DE 44 26 882 C1), in particular for use in station wagons, compartments are formed by means of an elastic belt for the purpose of receiving a load. Provided for this purpose in a belt retractor fixed to the vehicle is a storable belt which, in order to form suitable compartment sizes, can be deflected via deflection fittings distributed in the loading space. The belt retractor is provided with an arresting means for arresting the tensioning-belt withdrawal in the event of rapid withdrawal movements.
Such a load-securing system requires a high degree of effort and expense as a result of the large number of deflection fittings, and is complicated to handle since a suitable tensioning-belt guide has to be found in each case for different loads or a number of load items.
In a load-lashing arrangement, in particular for trucks or delivery vans, which is also known, belts with fastening elements are fitted on the inner surfaces of the side walls of the loading space. A transverse belt can be connected to the side belts via tensioning buckles and can be used to tension the load which is to be secured against the front wall of the loading space. In trucks, the front wall of the loading space with respect to the driver's cab is of relatively rigid design, so that it may be expedient here to lash the load against the front wall with an abutment connection. In cars, by contrast, the front wall of the loading space cannot be subjected to such high loading. In particular in station wagons, the front wall is formed by rear-seat-bench backrests which can be swung over and cannot be subjected to high loading, so that a restraining barrier formed by this means is limited to only lightweight loads. This load-securing arrangement thus cannot be used here in practice.
In a known load-lashing arrangement (DE 295 00 366 U1) for motor vehicles, a belt retractor is provided with a belt which can be unrolled and retracted in a spring-assisted manner and can be guided to a fastening point via a multiplicity of deflection fittings in the loading space. Here too, a suitable lashing position for the load and a corresponding belt guide have to be established before the start of the journey, and this involves a high degree of effort. Nevertheless, the load can slip if the belt guidance is unsatisfactory, in which case the securing function is reduced or not performed at all. In a specific embodiment, the belt, once fastened, may, if required, be tensioned via a tensioning lever using physical strength, in addition to the spring force of the retractor. All in all, handling requires a high degree of outlay.
In station wagons, the rear loading space can routinely be enlarged in that the rear-seat bench can be swung up around a front spindle into a vertical position and the backrest can be swung horizontally into the resulting free space. In the event of such a vehicle being involved in a head-on collision, any non-lashed load can be flung against the rear-seat bench, which, with the loading space enlarged, has been swung up vertically and thereby acts as a barrier. In order to increase the stability of such a barrier and to relieve the rear-seat bench of loading, a safety locking means is known from German reference DE 42 39 492 A1. Additionally fitted for this purpose, at the top corners of the swung-over rear-seat bench, are belt buckles, which are each connected to the rear-seat belt which is provided anyway, so that the top part of the rear-seat bench is braced, and secured, in the rearward direction. It is not possible to use this arrangement to fix any load in the loading space. Rather, in the event of a collision, the load is allowed to shift up against the swung-up rear-seat bench. In addition, this safety locking means only functions when the loading space is enlarged, with the rear-seat bench swung over.
In a barrier arrangement, a so-called belt bar is fastened on the backrest of the rear-seat bench, extends over the entire width of the interior and is supported in strong anchoring means. Fastening points for headrests and three-point safety belts are arranged on this belt bar. In this case, the backrest is divided and the belt bar is fastened on a wider part of the backrest. When the smaller backrest part is swung over, the belt bar thus remains in position and, when the two backrest parts are swung over to the full extent, the bar is swung over with them. This belt bar thus blocks the passage when the smaller backrest part is swung over and loses much of its safety function when, for the purpose of enlarging the loading space, it is swung over forwards together with the wider backrest part.
Safety-belt systems are also known as restraining means for vehicle occupants, which, in addition to a belt retractor with withdrawal-arresting means, have a pretensioning device for eliminating the belt slack in the event of a collision. (see for example EP 0 599 810 A2). For this purpose, an acceleration sensor determines a triggering deceleration and triggers a pretensioning mechanism for retracting the belt slack. In a similar arrangement (taught by DE 43 26 198 A1), the retraction of the belt is terminated once the belt loading has reached a predetermined value. These arrangements serve only to retract the belt slack in the event of a collision, the safety belt, however, must be fastened beforehand. In order to transfer such an arrangement to a known load-securing arrangement with belts, the load would thus have to be lashed with belts from the outset.